Macklemore Ousted From Ed Sheeran’s Tour After Alleged Pressure Campaign From Pro-Israel Robert Kraft

Macklemore was removed from Ed Sheeran’s stadium tour after his onstage support for Palestine during the first leg of the concert series.

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Messina Touring Group, promoter of the U.S. leg of Sheeran’s Loop Tour, said: “As the concert promoter for Ed Sheeran’s U.S. Loop Tour, we have been notified by venues on the upcoming U.S. tour dates that they will not allow a concert to take place with Macklemore on the lineup,” according to Rolling Stone.

The touring group added that this “would result in the cancellation of the tour and impact hundreds of thousands of fans. After discussions with stakeholders, Macklemore will not be performing on the remaining support dates.”

Shortly after the cancellation, Macklemore shared a scathing post on Instagram and reasserted his pro-Palestine stance. Notably, Macklemore’s departure appears to stem from demands made by stadium owner Robert Kraft and a pressure campaign to push other stadiums to drop the musician.

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News of the lineup change came after Macklemore repeatedly voiced his support for Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, calling for a “free Palestine” several times during the first leg of the tour.

He was slated to appear in 8 of the 10 remaining shows in Sheeran’s tour.

Macklemore responded to the cancellation September 14 in a lengthy Instagram post.

“Ed told me that Robert Kraft called him. We were scheduled to play Gillette Stadium later this month, which is owned by the Kraft Group. Ed told me that Kraft said I would not be allowed to perform at his stadium,” he wrote.

“Ed also told me that Kraft had rallied some of the other stadium owners and collectively they gave him an ultimatum: if Macklemore stays on the tour, you will not be allowed to play in our venues.”

Touring said that “would result in the cancellation of the tour and impact hundreds of thousands of fans.” “After discussions with stakeholders, Macklemore will not be performing on the remaining support dates,” she told the outlet. ‘

“Ed was in a fucked up position. He knew it. “

Macklemore continued, “His typical apolitical stance was being challenged in a way it never had been before. He told me that the words “Free Palestine” and the image of the Palestinian flag were hurtful to a lot of people he spoke with.”

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“I told him that if those words were more offensive than tens of thousands of Palestinian children being killed by Israel, then there was a fundamental disconnect between where those people stood and where I stood. But he couldn’t get past his public facing, ‘I don’t take sides.’”

Macklemore doubled down.

“I didn’t need 10 shows from Ed. I needed 2. Two chances to stand in front of 90,000 people and say the words that somehow became too dangerous to say. Free Palestine.”

He continued, ‘If those words cost me the stage, while turning the conversation back to Palestine, then it was the most successful tour I’ve ever been on.” (RELATED: Artists Abandon Jerry Seinfeld-Headlined Festival Over Political Tensions)

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Kraft, owner of the NFL’s New England Patriots, is known outside professional football for his aggressive, staunch support for Israel and advocacy for other Jewish causes.

Kraft and his family have maintained longstanding ties to Brandeis University, supporting Jewish leadership programs and initiatives focused on Israel, while his Foundation to Combat Antisemitism has worked to provide resources to Jewish community leaders to confront antisemitism. However, critics contend some of Kraft’s antisemitism efforts are more geared at shutting down dissent against the Jewish State and stifling free speech rather than in the name of combating perceived antisemitism.

During the first shows, Macklemore took the stage and said, “A big part of the reason why I wanted to do this tour in the first place is so I could stand up in stadiums like this and say two words that are very near and dear to my heart: Free Palestine.”

He shouted “Free Palestine” during the Sept. 4 and 5 shows at the venue and showed images of Gaza while performing his protest song “Hinds’s Hall.”

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